


Somewhere In The Past

by KyeAbove



Series: On The Way Of Black Birds [8]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Attempted Murder, Cats, Character Bashing, Crossdressing, Detectives, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Kuroba Kaito Is Dead, Kuroba Parents Bashing, Kuroba Touichi Lives, Magic, Murder, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Permanently Conan Kudo Shinichi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: Eight years after Kaito was killed at a heist, Saguru is the newest Kaitou KID, which started as an attempt to gain evidence, but is now too deep a secret. When a part of Kaito's past returns to Japan, Saguru is the one who faces the consequences. He doesn't consider it right, but he'll fight tooth and nail to not lose anyone else he cares about.But when your newest enemy is a sixteen year old child who watched his father die, and just wants a proper ending, is it really a fair fight?
Relationships: Chat Noir (Magic Kaito)/Hakuba Saguru, Hakuba Saguru & His Kids, Hakuba Saguru & Kenta Connery, Hakuba Saguru & Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hakuba Saguru & Nakamori Aoko, Hattori Heiji/Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: On The Way Of Black Birds [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726024
Comments: 18
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

Kenta had chosen to avoid Japan for most of his life. After he lost his father, and his entire worldview there, it was too full of bad memories. Even after he’d long since recovered from his operation, he still avoided it, growing up with family in America. 

But Kenta felt ready, after nearly ten years of trying to forget it all happened. Not only had he returned to Japan, he was going to confront the man who inadvertently led to his father’s death. Kenta knew his father was a criminal. That he was Nightmare. But he’d still been his father and his death hurt even now.

Kenta managed to get himself into a Kaitou KID heist on account that the lead cop of the Kaitou KID case these days, Nakamori Aoko, remembered him. He remembered her a little bit too. She remained as kind as she had been to him as a kid. He knew exactly what she was doing when she ordered the task force away from the roof, claiming that KID must have gone to the lower levels. Aoko was a good cop, and a good person too. 

So Kenta raced up to the roof, opening the door slowly, and peered out. Just as he suspected, Kaitou KID was there, his white outfit basked in moonlight, holding the recently stolen gem up to the sky. KID lowered it slightly, and then slipped it into his pocket and mumbled something indistinct. 

“KID!” Kenta yelled, storming out, and moving closer to KID. KID turned at the unfamiliar voice, in visible confusion that Kenta could see the shudder of even though KID had begun to wear a mask most of the time in the last decade. The way his shoulders slumped, and he twirled his body around to face Kenta was certainly now curiosity. 

Kenta thought the KID would try to run away, but instead he walked a little closer, hands going into his pocket.

“And here I’d believed the KID Task Force stopped letting in freelancers and children, especially after what happened with Kuroba. Did you sneak in like tantei-san?" KID's voice was caught between bemusement and something close to fear. Something to do with this  _ 'Kuroba'  _ that Kenta had never heard of before, he assumed. 

"I'm not a detective. I just came here to talk with you, KID." Although if Kenta could lead to this man’s arrest, he could say he finally put the whole case at rest. Kenta felt it was unlikely that he could do what hundreds of others had failed at, but very few had a past like him.

"But why? You don't seem like the usual KID fan." KID’s voice switched fully to amusement, and Kenta snapped at that.

"I'm nowhere near a fan of you! I came here for your confession."

"My confession?" 

Kenta lowered his voice as his breath caught in his throat. The memories of that day were returning full force. "You were there when my father died."

“I was?” KID’s voice dropped, and he tilted his head slightly in thought. “When?”    
  
“Ten years ago, you let my father fall to the ground.” Tears welled up in Kenta’s eyes, but he wiped them away, refusing to cry in front of KID. “I was just a child, and he may have been Nightmare, but he was still-” 

“You’re Kenta Connery?!” KID stepped back sharply, swearing in English under his breath, and then pulling the gem out to Kenta. “Take it. I should go.”    
  
Instead Kenta growled, and grabbed onto KID’s sleeve. “NO! TELL ME WHY YOU LET MY DAD DIE!” He pushed KID, and managed to catch him off guard and get him on the ground. His hands went right for KID’s mask. He took it off..

And now Kenta was staring at panicked heterochromic eyes, one the blue that most assumed KID's eyes were from some past interactions with him, and the other, brown. KID had never been reported as having brown eyes. 

Nor was it that likely KID, as old as the myth of him was, would seem not even thirty. KID was blond too, although Kenta only guessed that from the fact that KID had a blond beard. The rest of his hair was hidden under what must have been a wig. 

“Who the heck are you?” Kenta asked, suspecting things were very wrong.   
  
“I am Kaitou KID….the third one.” KID revealed in a soft voice. 

“Third?” 

KID grimaced. "The previous KID, the one involved in the Nightmare case, died years ago."

Kenta jumped back, getting off of KID. “No...”

KID sat back up, and then sat crossed legged in front of Kenta. “Your father’s death was an accident. I may not have been there one who was KID when he died, but I know as much as that.”    
  
“Oh, really…” 

“The previous KID...he did try to save him. He held on to your father as long as he could, but...Kenta, your father was a grown man, the previous KID was just a child. He couldn’t support his weight long enough before help could arrive. But he tried all he could, even though your father had been fully set on killing him.” KID spoke with confidence, and Kenta almost wanted to believe him. 

“The previous KID was only a child? I find that hard to believe.” Kenta was not going to blindly believe a stranger, even one who he suspected really was telling the truth at least about not being the KID who was there from his father’s death.

"The first KID was his father. He was only sixteen when he became KID. He was _ …an amazing person. _ I was too stubborn to admit it when he was still alive, but I miss him."

“Even though he was a criminal?”    
  
“Yes.” KID nodded. “I assume you feel similar about your father.”    
  
Kenta knew what KID was doing, but found himself not caring. “He was my dad. He didn’t have much time for me, but I realized later that was because he was working so hard to save me. He was willing to give up everything just to save my life.”    
  
“Then isn’t it enough that he loved you? Chasing after the ghosts of the past only makes you more miserable. Take that from me.” KID looked up, towards the moon. “But for me it’s too late to take back my choice to chase moonlight.”    
  
“...he really did try to save my dad?”    
  
“He did. He saved you too.”    
  
“Huh?”    
  
“Your father had his mask on when he fell. The previous KID removed it just before you showed up to save you the horror of finding a criminal, instead of your father.” KID once again tried to hand Kenta the gem. “Then the pure publicity of the crime had the needed remaining costs for your operation come in through donations, from KID fans who heard of you.”    
  
Kenta had never heard that part before. “Really?”    
  
“It’s all true.” KID then took his mask back from Kenta, and Kenta didn’t resist. KID put his mask back on. “But if it makes you feel better, if I ever complete my own goal that led me to become Kaitou KID, I will turn myself in with you, and then your father’s death may finally have a resolution.”

“But-”    
  
KID stood up, and then started walking away. “I hope to see you around, Tantei-kun.” KID then opened up his glider, and dashed off the roof, flying away from the roof. 

Kenta watched him leave, but while he now had even more questions than he started with, he did feel a lot more peace. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is apparently a multiple chapter story after all. 
> 
> Saguru is a very emotional person at this point in this life, for very understandable reasons.

Saguru managed to make it home safely before he felt he had to curl up on his side and cry in bed. The stress and anxiety of seeing Kenta Connery, and being reminded of Kuroba's death yet again had pushed him over the edge. 

He tried to focus on anything else. The ticking of his pocket watch sitting on the bed side table, a comfort that he had to leave behind every heist. The creaking of the bed as he moved in his light sobs. Soft purring and a wet nose rubbing against his face. His cat, Hato, had noticed he was back. 

"Hato…" Saguru whispered, pulling her close. She cuddled up in his arms, and sprawled across his shoulder. She had been a gift from Kuroba, years ago. Watson had gotten injured during a case and Saguru had felt that he couldn't provide the new care she needed, so he had surrendered her to a bird sanctuary. He still visited her sometimes.

Hato had been plopped down in his lap suddenly, a week after that emotional decision, a small white furred kitten. Kuroba had smiled at him, having been missing from Saguru's life aside from KID heists now that they were both done school and Saguru had chosen to put off college for what would turn out to be forever. Kuroba had then dashed off and disappeared around a corner. 

It was the last day Saguru had seen Kuroba until the last heist. Saguru still wondered why Kuroba had gifted him Hato so randomly, but the question hadn't occurred to him when he'd been holding Kuroba in his last moments. Saguru had a lot of hang ups about Kuroba’s death, but he was forever glad he stayed with him until the end. Nobody deserved to die alone.

Saguru had stayed with him, talked with him, finally got the confession he wanted in a weak whisper. But Saguru hadn’t wanted Kuroba’s confession like that. After years of knowing him, Saguru had almost wanted to stop the entire chase, and _understand_ instead. 

There was a knock on his door, and seconds later the other man with a secret stepped into the room, holding a steaming mug. His glasses were folded and hanging off his shirt. He didn’t need those glasses to see, so likely he’d just finished up a video chat with Mouri Ran. That was the only reason Conan ever wore his fake frames inside.

"You look like a wreck tonight." Conan said, walking over and handing Saguru what he could smell was coffee. Saguru could enjoy coffee once in a while, but it made him jittery and he felt like he needed tea at a moment like this. Still, he took cautious sips of the offered coffee because Conan was just trying to be nice. 

Conan was a long since permanent presence in Saguru’s life. The Conan identity, actually of Shinichi Kudo once upon a time, had been legally a Hakuba for years now. After Mouri Kogoro got tired of the apparent child, he had kicked him out. The money he was receiving to take care of him just wasn't worth it, it seemed. So Saguru made a big public case about taking him in, and now Conan and Kogoro were detective rivals once more. 

Saguru knew Conan was even older than him, more than two whole years chronologically, but it still felt sometimes they were friends. They at least bonded well over Sherlock Holmes and cases, when Saguru bothered to even consult on them. Being a detective didn’t seem worth it anymore.

The Kaitou KID case has been his last official case. Investigating Kuroba’s death had been a passion project. Now he’d flipped sides of the law entirely.

Saguru thought back to the events on the rooftop. He wished desperately he could have given the child more information, but sometimes information got people killed. 

He hoped that what information Connery did get, it wasn’t harmful to the boy. Connery saw his face, which was already bad enough. While the bad lighting would have made it harder to remember details, Saguru was sure Connery saw his mismatched eyes. If Connery stuck around, Saguru would have to settle on which color of contact lense to use for the time being, and hope Connery never heard that Saguru had heterochromia. 

Conan sat down beside him, and in almost magician's fashion produced a dove. “Something came for you while you were out.” Saguru looked at it oddly, then he whined in frustration.

Toichi just couldn't be a normal person and text him. Saguru sat up, placing Hato away from the dove, already feeling her instinctive curiosity building up. He grabbed the small paper wrapped around the dove’s leg and read it, expecting the worst.   
  
**_Dinner tomorrow at 7pm? Y/N?_ **

“I’ll have to respond to this, I guess.”    
  
“Of course.”

Conan took Hato from the room while Saguru scratched the dove's feathers as he carried it around in his search for a pen. Finding one, he sat down at his desk and moved his paperweight out of the way of his looseleaf. It was the very gem Kuroba died for and Saguru used it as a paperweight while he pretended to keep searching for it. 

Saguru thought it was more fitting to downplay it's meaningfulness. It was like insulting the person who put a bullet through Kuroba's stomach. Saguru felt like Kuroba may have approved, although Saguru wasn’t sure if he ever knew the real Kuroba Kaito. 

He ripped off a corner of the looseleaf paper and scrawled  **_Yes. I have some things to go over with you._ **

Saguru then tied the message onto the dove, and sent the bird on its way, watching from his window as it flew off into the distance. He saw a lot of doves these days. He couldn’t keep any himself because they reminded him too much of Watson despite being completely different in temperament. 

His door creaked open once more before he could muse further. “Dad?” Conan wasn't Saguru's only adopted child, though with the other two it wasn't a farce. 

Saguru turned around, and faced his two children who were really children. They were both in their nightwear, and looking very tired. Still, they moved towards him. Takashi, aged five, demanded to be picked up, while Sara, aged eight, simply hugged his leg. 

“Hey, you two. Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s a school night.” Saguru asked in a teasing fond way. Takashi had already fallen asleep as soon as his head rested on Saguru’s chest, but Sara looked up at him with tired and affronted eyes. 

“We wanted to see you. You sneak out and always come back sad. So don’t be sad. Please, dad?” Sara pleaded. Saguru almost broke down right there and then. But instead, he put on a smile and ruffled her hair. 

“Anything for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to cut and paste pieces of canon around for a slightly more coherent mix of DCMK for this fic, and that will also be a way to cover my tracks if I mess up on a canon event, yes. Agewise, Saguru is a year younger than most of his Ekoda peers but skipped a grade, and I've decided instead to make the main DC cast a year older than the main MK cast and two years older than Saguru.


	3. Chapter 3

In Saguru's opinion, there were few things more insulting to the dead than going for a casual dinner with your predocessor's supposedly dead father. Who was very much not dead and just living mainly in Las Vegas since the murder attempt upon him. 

On some level, Saguru understood. An attempt on Toichi's life was made and that possibly could have left his family in danger. So running and hiding had likely been the best course of action for the time until he was sure things were safer. But Saguru still felt Toichi could have gone about it better, or at least not caused Kuroba grief by coming back into his life in a new thief identity and then pretty much taunting Kuroba with it. 

Aside from the fact that he had mismatched eyes and it was easier to not have his specially ordered contact lenses in when he was often changing appearances, that was why he wore a mask in his main outfit. Because faces often haunted people the most. He didn't want a photographer getting a good picture and his own kids seeing him at this worst. 

Speaking of his contact lenses, Saguru went with blue. While he did prefer the contrast brown eyes had with his appearance, blue would stand out less. If Connery was like anyone else, he would focus on what stood out. So blue eyes would hide him best. 

Saguru blinked, and then yelped when something jumped up and climbed up his back. He expected Hato to be the one that would settle on his shoulder, but from the mirror two black ears popped up, then the rest of a black cat climbed up. 

"Oh, Felix." Hato was Saguru's cat but there were many cats running around the property. Felix was specifically Takashi's cat, a gift from Takashi's mother for his fourth birthday. She’d found it funny, although Saguru had certainly had choice words with her after the party.

Of course he'd worn light colours this evening. His shirt was now likely covered in noticeable cat hair. He decided that for Toichi, he did not care. 

Satisfied he looked passable as not completely run down, Saguru left his room, Felix still perched on his shoulder. He went to the entertainment room, and found the kids cuddled up watching a movie. Takashi made a delighted squeak when Saguru pried the black cat off his shoulder and lowered Felix into Takashi’s lap. 

“My kitty!” Takashi hugged the cat, and looked up at his father. “Hello!” 

“You two having fun?” Saguru asked, leaning against the back of the couch, and the kids nodded. 

“Want to join us? We’re at the part where-” She was so excited and in love with the movie that Saguru had seen dozens of times himself and would have watched again if he had the time.

Saguru unfortunately had to cut her off. “Sorry, dear. I got a meeting with my boss.” 

Sara nodded in understanding, but then got a devious smile on her face. “It’s a date, isn’t it?” She looked proud of her mischievous deduction. Saguru ruffled her hair. 

“I’m ace, dear. I don’t date, I socialize.” He then tapped her nose. “You two enjoy your movie. If I get done in time, I’ll be back and we can plan our own movie time. Is that okay with you two?” 

“Yes!” Both siblings said together, and then they turned to each other and giggled over timing. 

“See you two later then.” Saguru left the two happy children, and focused back on his Toichi problem. 

He did respect Toichi for choosing Saguru's own bar as the meet up place. Saguru often socialized with bar patrons and it wouldn't look out of place. Saguru as such chose to dress casually, which for him these days meant a simple t-shirt and jeans. He honestly didn't know what his teenage self was thinking when he thought starched suits were any bit comfortable. 

Tying up his hair as he walked, Saguru searched for the keys to his bike. It was another thing he ended up receiving from Kuroba, although post-death. After making sure his pocket watch was in his pocket, double checking even though he could hear it clicking, he left the house. From home, he drove to his place of work, The Blue Parrot bar.

The Blue Parrot was a sort of exchange between Saguru and Jii-san. Jii had been fully ready to become KID full time again despite his age, but Saguru had waved a cheque in his face, and put Jii-san in financially sound retirement while Saguru got the bar and the KID identity. 

A smart move, as it turned out, as the bar was a decent living, and Saguru's father was almost as much of a snake as the real deal, and cut off Saguru from the family fortune after Saguru dropped being a detective. Although Saguru did suspect somewhat that his choice to not go to college, and to not get married, and to on impulse adopt a baby barely any time after his eighteenth birthday while letting it slip he didn't want biological children also factored in to his father nearly disowning him. 

Saguru didn't regret adopting Sara though. He could only picture the grievance she would have gotten for being the daughter of a murderer, instead of the adopted daughter of a washed up former teen detective. She was happy with him, and that's what really mattered. 

Takashi was much more complicated, but Saguru wouldn't trade him for anything. 

He made it to the bar at 7pm with 5 seconds and a millisecond to spare. Upon entering the bar, he spotted a suspious man in the farthest corner both keeping his head down. Clearly Toichi in disguise. 

Saguru went right over to him, and saw he'd already gotten a drink. Specifically Toichi's favourite. 

"Toichi-san, as usual, I presume."

The man looked up, and smiled. "Don't say that too loudly in public, Hakuba." The man replied, and Saguru sat down across from him. 

"So what do you need from me this time?" 

"Just wanted to catch up. You've increased your heists lately, I noticed. Mostly now I want to hear what you wanted to tell me." Toichi had an almost smug tone to his voice, but Saguru had learnt to ignore that.

"Someone saw my face last night."

Toichi's poker face almost broke at those words. "That...is not good." 

"It was a kid. Well, teenager. He...he's the son of that thief, Nightmare." 

"Oh...that is bad…." 

If not for the dire situation, Saguru would have laughed at Toichi's reactions. He'd hated that damn poker face since he'd seen it on Toichi's first son, and even Kuroba Kaito eventually learnt hiding emotions sucked.

"So while I am dealing with it in my own way, if you hear any talk of my face being unmasked in the places you frequent, make sure you text me right away so I can pack up and run." 

Toichi recomposed himself. "Yes, I can do that for you." He then picked up his glass, swishing it around. "I may not agree with your methods, but I do admire your style. You would have made a good son-in-law, Hakuba."

Next thing Toichi knew, his drink was purple. He paused in taking a sip, mildly amazed that Saguru had done the switch when the glass was right at his mouth. He was always unsure whether Saguru was using slight of hand in his tricks or if he was actually magic, and tricks like that muddled Toichi's theories. 

And then the drink made a popping sound and Toichi was now covered in purple confetti

"Next time I'll use glitter." Saguru warned, face dark. Toichi laughed. 

"You'd never be so brash. After all, I know too many of your secrets. You are a good KID, but your poker face is lacking."

"I don't want to have a poker face. I like my children knowing that I love them." Saguru shot back, annoyed. 

"Your loss." 

"No, it's your loss for ruining Kaito-kun like you did." Saguru didn't usually use Kuroba's given name, but it clearly had the correct impact as Toichi disappeared right then in a cloud of smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should fall back to Kenta's perspective.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where things start to get more plotty.

Aoko's kindness extended past allowing him to talk with KID. When she found out Kenta planned to stay in a hotel room for the time he was in Japan, she offered up the unused second bedroom in her apartment as a second option, and he’d accepted. He felt a bit overwhelmed by the kindness but felt he could not refuse.

The apartment was a cosy place, although it felt just a little empty. Kenta looked around the place as Aoko put away groceries that she’d picked up on the way from getting him from the hotel. There was a sameness to the area, no conflicting tastes, so it seemed Aoko lived alone.

"Do you have a boyfriend here? Girlfriend? A roommate?" Kenta asked shyly, hoping he wasn’t wrong, and was not intruding on anyone else’s life, or Aoko had at least gotten enthusiastic permission from anyone else who lived with her.

“No, it’s just me.” Aoko walked out of the kitchen. “Now let me show you to the guest bedroom. It isn’t much…” Aoko trailed off, and then ushered Kenta into the hallway. 

She opened a door off in the corner, and Kenta gazed around. It very much was a guest room, lacking any personality. Kenta already felt more welcome here than anything a hotel could provide. He put his bag down on the floor, and then smiled at Aoko. She smiled back. 

“ I'll make dinner while you settle in. You can put your things away.” Aoko told him before leaving him alone in the room. He wondered if she was lonely and that was why she was taking pity on him like this. Kenta locked the door. 

He really did hate lying to her. Technically he hadn’t even lied, just omitted certain truths.

Kenta leaned against the door, and smirked. This would be easier than he thought when he'd made these plans back in America. He had police connections now! If he played his actions right, he might be able to ask Aoko for help. 

While his plans had certainly changed a little now that he knew the current KID was not the one there for his father's death, and that the previous KID was dead, he was still the new Nightmare and fully intended to keep using the identity. To either get close to KID and bring him to justice if there was any reason to, or find out if he'd been withholding information.

Kenta pulled the bag with his handmade Nightmare costume out of his suitcase and stashed it in the back of the closet. He would have to be careful with it, now that he was staying with a cop. He wondered if his father wanted this. A criminal for a son. A criminal with no meaningful justification like Jack Connery had. Kenta had already gotten past scrutiny before. What more could he push? 

After that he began putting more of his stuff away, so that it was not sitting there undone while he researched. He would need to look deeper into this whole Kaitou KID matter, but for now he wanted his possessions around him. He placed the photo frame of him and his father together on the nightstand. 

Once he’d loaded up the closet with his clothes, he grabbed his phone and laid down on the bed, and brought up the search engine. He’d already done a decent enough research on KID before, so he focused most on the newest piece of information he’d been given about the KID lore. 

Who was this Kuroba that KID had mentioned? A quick internet search gave him many answers. 

Kuroba Kaito had been a nineteen year old college student and ametur magician who was 'brilliant' and was 'taken too soon' after consulting on a KID heist, and getting fatally shot. Was he the previous KID? Kenta thought it made some amount of sense. Why would he be consulting on his own heist though? A way to get in easy? Amusement? 

A look at articles on KID at the time told him the KID’s methods stayed relatively the same after a brief stop in heists that the media attributed to KID’s way of mourning a death at one of his usually fun and exciting heists. But if KID was Kuroba Kaito, the disappearance would be easily explainable. 

What was more curious was that after only two heists after KID’s post-Kuroba return, his methods changed completely. He began using less magic and less taunting of the police, only showing up long enough to get the jewel and escape. The change in KID to the third one seemed only to happen months later.

Kenta tried to process that. Did that mean Kuroba wasn’t the previous KID? That the previous KID had died some months after Kuroba? There was no way Kuroba could be the first KID after all, making him the second, and the current KID had labeled himself the third KID. 

Kuroba still was a decent lead. Kenta dug deeper into Kuroba Kaito's past. Old social media posts and even older articles. Kenta lowered his phone slightly when he read Kuroba's father died in an accident too. He seemed to have grown up relatively adjusted despite it. Unlike Kenta. Kuroba was far better than him then. 

What surprised Kenta most though was when he spotted Aoko among Kuroba's posts. This just got a whole lot more interesting, he realized. Aoko must know a lot more about KID than Kenta thought before. 

So Kuroba Kaito was likely the previous KID but maybe not, and was friends with Aoko, but who was the newest KID? That was the biggest mystery to solve here. Kenta tried to recall details about his appearance, but all he could remember was blond haired and two different coloured eyes. 

Kenta's musings were broken when Aoko knocked on the door. 

“Kenta. Supper is ready if you’re hungry.” 

“I’ll be out in a minute.” Kenta replied. Eyes lingering on his closet for a moment, Kenta put aside his phone, and left the room for the sake of food. Whoever KID was, Kenta would find out no matter what and the danger of it certainly did not scare him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenta won't be doing too much Nightmare shenanigans for a bit but if that does interest you, one of the other stories in this series, [For The Honor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962438), will be focusing on that.


	5. Chapter 5

Saguru couldn't find Toichi after that. He'd ran away, like he was some coward. Did he truly think that he'd ruined Kuroba? Or was he offended that it was pointed out and denied it. Saguru could never tell with that man. 

He remembered the first time he’d met Toichi. After he’d caught Jii on the second heist, and started planning his first heist, he walked into Sara’s nursery, and found a man in black standing over her crib. It turned out to be Kuroba Toichi, not a threat to anything except Saguru’s already fragile sanity, but in that moment Saguru had considered murder and there were some days he fell into deep enough moments to wish he had choked out Toichi that day. 

For now though, he was sober in a bar, and while it would be nice to have a drink or two after dealing with Toichi, he’d driven himself here, and his nanny wouldn’t be back from her vacation until tomorrow. As well, he’d promised his kids a movie night. After checking out that everything was running smoothly, he stepped out into the night. 

As he was fumbling with the keys to his bike, his least favourite text notification sounded. Least favourite, because either he was in serious danger, or about to be annoyed. It was hard to prepare when he couldn’t tell which to expect. 

> EC: Heads up. Don't hold a heist in the next week or you will probably be killed easily. Snake got his hands on this really dangerous poison that has a nearly 100% kill rate and he plans to use it on you. I plan to sneak off with it myself soon enough. 
> 
> Saguru: I have better things to do right now than plan out a heist. 
> 
> Saguru: And how nearly 100% is this poison. 
> 
> EC: Well, I'm pretty sure it's the poison I was given and Snake says it had a 100% kill rate, but I lived. d:
> 
> Saguru: You only lived because I'm quite sure you're as unkillable as you are useless. 
> 
> EC: 🥺🥺🥺🤪✌️

Saguru closed the chat. It was true though. What could be more useless than having the direct number of a member of the organization who was hunting him, and in seven years of being reconnected since their youth, not getting one bit of actual evidence that would help Saguru take down this organization?

But even when Falcon got as annoying as he could be, it was still worth everything that he was often aware of potential danger in heists, and went home to his kids every day.

He made it home easily, and right away went to the movie room. The kids were still there cuddled up, and their own movie was just about to end. Saguru didn’t bother announcing his arrival, but as soon as he’d laid down on the other couch, Takashi was suddenly in his lap.

“Dad!” Takashi cuddled up to him. “You’re home.” 

“Yes, I am.” As he always wanted to be. 

If there was one good thing Toichi had given him, it was Takashi. Well, less given, more Saguru kept him hidden. Saguru would never forgive Toichi for seducing his girlfriend, but Takashi was worth everything to him. 

Often Saguru wondered what Kuroba would have thought about having a brother. Would the twenty-two year age difference between the half-brothers have affected anything? Maybe Kuroba would have acted as Takashi’s dad instead, since no matter the timeline, Toichi lacked as a parent.   
  
Saguru certainly wouldn't have minded co-parenting with Kuroba. 

As Takashi got settled and pulled a blanket over them, the movie ended, and Sara, in control of the remote, started scrolling through the menu for a movie for all three. 

She looked over at Saguru several times, wondering what to say of his tired eyes and the general air of distaste around him. 

"Hey, dad. You seem upset." Sara brought up, and that questioning, detecting gaze reminded Saguru of his own. Which made sense. He and Sara were technically cousins, biologically half-siblings due to their mothers being identical twins. It was still always surprising to witness every time. 

He thought sometimes that she may grow up to be a teen detective. She had some of the mind for it, and seemed fascinated by Conan's work. But Saguru would push nothing and suggest nothing, because he would much rather the both of them grow up without any major expectations from him, and become what they wanted to be. 

"I miss mum." Saguru told her. It wasn't entirely a lie, since he did miss her. Saguru's most petty rebellion was calling his former Baaya as mum. She was his mother in all forms except biologically. She had been his wetnurse, and later brought on as his nanny in England when his family tired of him once more, and she was the only one who could talk any sense into him. He wouldn't have made it to twenty-six without her. 

Sara understood. "She's coming back tomorrow, right?" While Takashi was attached to Saguru intensely, Sara seemed to prefer her grandmother. While his caretaker was a bit shocked to arrive in England only a day after him and find Saguru was fighting for the right to adopt his cousin, she'd loved the girl deeply from day one. Often times Sara helped out with the baking and cooking, although was still working her way up to being allowed anywhere near anything more dangerous than a spoon. 

"She is." 

Sara looked soft and happy at the confirmation, and finally selected an animated movie they all enjoyed. It had come out when Saguru was a little kid. As young as Takashi, Saguru recalled being cuddled up with his nanny just like this, watching the movie. Cartoons were always easier to follow along with, and even now he preferred them. 

He wondered where Conan was. While he didn't always join them for movie nights, Saguru still felt his absence. Conan sometimes seemed to think Saguru had adopted him so Conan had someone to sign legal papers while he otherwise took care of himself, but Saguru did want him as a friend. 

But for now it was just the family of three. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HakuChat as a pairing happened long after Takashi was born but Saguru is still mad Toichi meddled since Saguru and Chat Noir were friends before. 
> 
> See [Materialistic Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24083878) for a better explanation of who Saguru was texting, since it's not Conan despite the initials


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baaya is called as the name Amelia in this series, partly because my spell check likes to autocorrect Baaya to anything but, and I always thought it’d be a good name for her. 
> 
> As a polite heads up, from here on out, all one-shots and side stories in this series aside from the questionable podfic are generally extremely recommended reading since many parts in this main story rely on the idea that the one-shots and other stories, yes even the completely OC based ones, have been read and this story may come off as confusing if you're out of the context loop.

It was the morning of Amelia Chamberlain's return, and Saguru was none the more delighted to see his adoptive mother again. She'd only been gone two weeks, but it'd been a hellish two weeks. 

He had so much to tell her. How he'd made a nemesis rival in the new Nightmare, and how Takashi and Sara were doing in school, and just all of the fun he'd had as KID lately. 

Although the most damning thing he'd have to tell her was that he was now seeing someone romantically. He didn't look forward to that conversation. Amelia was usually very understanding of all Saguru did, even taking his KID hobby with stride and amusement, but usually was less understanding of new people in Saguru’s life. While his newest bird was not a new person to him, knowing her since he was twenty-one, he’d had yet to introduce her to Amelia. 

"Hato, am I in danger? Should I have told mum I was interested in someone long before now?" Saguru asked his little cat, and she looked up from her dish of wet food sitting on the vanity and looked considerate. With Saguru’s witchy powers came the ability to slightly anthromize his pets, and in times like this it came in handy.

After a bit of thinking, she meowed and rubbed her face against his hand, and then nipped at the skirt that he was considering wearing that day. "Oh, yes of course. I didn't realize this wouldn't pair well with the jacket." 

Hato beaned and then went back to eating, having not answered his original question.

"Although I see more colors than you so it's odd you noticed it first." Saguru mused as he switched out the jacket for a blue one. After that he grabbed a bracelet from his jewelry box, and deemed his outfit done. It felt nice to be able to expand his clothing style from time to time. 

After calling the cab to take him to and from the airport, Saguru grabbed together a small bag of stuff for the ride. Taking a place at his desk, Saguru eyed Pandora. Was it really worth it to keep pretending he hadn't found it yet? It had been five years. Wouldn't it be enough to say Kuroba's death was avenged through finding and hiding the gem?

But Kuroba’s killer was still out there, Saguru reminded himself. And he could not stop until he found the man, and brought him to the court of law. Even though the law wasn't such an appealing place for him to stand in these days. 

He knew Kuroba's killer was a man and that was it. Falcon had let the information slip, and only that. Saguru was sure Falcon knew the truth and was offended that his brother would hide it from him. 

Saguru pushed those bitter thoughts away, and left the bedroom. Today he was supposed to focus not on Falcon’s bullshit, but their mother. 

When he passed through the kitchen, Conan was there eating dry cereal and sipping a cup of orange juice while going over case files. His hair was all messed up, and he had clearly only gotten back to the house this morning, and Saguru tried to bite back how much he looked like Kuroba with his hair all like that. 

"Where were you last night?" Saguru had in fact missed him. 

"...on a date. With Heiji." Conan replied slowly but smugly. 

Saguru said nothing on that topic. He wasn’t allowed to have an opinion on that, and Conan had made that very clear. 

With all his swarming thoughts, one did break onto the surface. Falcon’s text. "So, I have something to speak of with you. I've long suspected that my… criminal contact was given the same poison you were. He claims to have been de-aged by a poison and while he would be thirty-eight now he looks barely a day older than me and there was a twelve year difference between us. And he appears to have centered his attention onto something one of his co-workers acquired, that might be that poison." Saguru rambled on, while Conan got an increasingly worried and yet awed expression. He didn’t dare raise his hopes. 

"All the samples were accidentally destroyed when we took down the organization, I swore…"

"Ask Ai-chan if she'd like me to get the sample. If she doesn't want to dig up that sore, then I won't bother." 

“I will…thank you for telling me, Saguru.”

Saguru beamed, and left with a smile on his face. The cab soon arrived, and Saguru kept himself busy by ignoring the driver’s attempts at interacting with him and looking out the window as the city passed by. 

Upon arrival, he went directly for the right gate, hoping Amelia’s flight wasn’t delayed. He ended up waiting twenty minutes, delighting in the looks he received, but soon the doors opened and people walked out. Among them was eventually his adoptive mother. 

“Mum!” He called out, and she looked in his direction and smiled, and made a brisk pace for his location. They embraced in a long hug. “Welcome home. You’ve missed a lot.”

“In only two weeks?” Amelia asked fondly. “Did you adopt another child?” 

Saguru bristled and her accompanying laugh was like music to his ears. “...no.” 

“Another animal then?” 

“Mum, please. I don’t have that bad a habit.” 

“I can never be too sure with you, Saguru.” She released one arm from around him and poked his nose. “I always expect an expansion to the family.”

Saguru knew where her joking was coming from. He did have many pets compared to the average person and his adopting of children had become firmly a joke after he’d took in both Takashi and Conan at around the same time. He didn’t have plans for more kids, and he’d have to heavily consider his ability to care for so many if he did get more pets, but there was one man that he needed a second opinion on. 

Saguru leaned into Amelia's ear so not to let strangers into the sensitive conversation. "Elias has been hanging around lately. You...might be able to talk to him if you catch him." 

Amelia paused, face wrinkling in thought and misery and nostalgia. Then with a displeased huff she spoke back just as quietly. "...as far as I am concerned my son is still dead. That man may have his face and his memories but my little crazy conspiracy theorist died aged eighteen after not looking both ways before darting across the road just as his death certificate says. I don’t want to see him."

“And I respect that decision.” Saguru put aside the thought to make sure Falcon knew to stay away from the house unless he gave a text advance and stayed away from Amelia. Saguru valued Falcon’s information but he loved Amelia more, and as such valued her peace of mind far more than information. 

Amelia returned to a smile, although tighter this time, and let go of Saguru. “And how are the kids?” 

Saguru always loved an opportunity to talk about his kids, so excitedly chattered about it as they retrieved Amelia’s bags, and returned to the cab. 

Then, to test the waters on his own relationship, Saguru led into “...and Conan is dating Hattori Heiji and that is something the tabloids are going to talk about when it gets out.” While Saguru knew that Conan was really Kudo Shinichi and more than emotionally mature enough to date outside his physical age range, and had certainly been smart to hook up with someone also in on the secret, Amelia wasn’t aware of it all. 

Amelia looked a bit upset but chose her words carefully. “Have you had a conversation with him about that?” 

“I have. He says it's just been like they always have been but now they call their outings dates.” 

“I see. I will have my own conversation with him and then make my decision then.” Saguru noticed that Amelia was not as tense looking as she could be with some situations, so Conan and Hattori were likely in the clear as long as Conan didn’t act too smug with her during their conversation or say the wrong thing. 

Saguru then bowed his head. “Conan isn’t the only one now romantically involved with someone outside their age range.” Saguru admitted as they got into the cab. 

“Oh?” 

Saguru took out his phone and pulled up the photo app, scrolling until he found pictures of her. “Her name is Ruby Jones. She’s in her forties and I know I’m only twenty-six but she’s nice to me and respects that I don’t like...well, you know, and I’m willing to give it a chance since she’s been my friend for years too and I know she likes me as a person.” He then leaned in closer and once again whispered in Amelia’s ear so the driver didn’t hear. “She’s the French thief Chat Noir so you can imagine how I met her.” 

“I do. And Saguru, unlike your eighteen year old son, you are a grown adult. As long as she treats you right and like an equal, I approve.” Saguru relaxed at her words. 

“Thanks mum.”

And in that peaceful moment, Saguru had no idea how much he was going to loathe this very day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write Saguru as gender non-comforming so yes he is in a skirt and dress sometimes in this fic.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [All You Ever Wanted [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24656800) by [KyeAbove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove)
  * [Heartless](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29070168) by [KyeAbove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove)




End file.
